The Girl Who Captured The Sun
by Krystal Nite
Summary: A lion turtle, she thought with a smile. But, that was definitely not a cloud. As it came closer it showed its true size, it had to be the size of an island. Alexandria was lost in its jewel like gaze as her fear left her and she was filled with peace. She reached out and as she touched its snout she heard a voice in her mind. "You are needed."
1. Chapter 1

Ok so this is my first attempt at an Avatar story even though this has been rolling around in my head for years now so anyway I hope you all enjoy it!

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><p>Alexandria sat in the soft, white sand the dark blue-grey waves lapping at her bare feet. She looked at the sun setting on the horizon casting the sky in orange and red splashes of color, making the sky look as though it was on fire. The breeze played with her long, thick, golden blonde hair, making it twirl about as thought the wind were dancing with her. She felt the sand between her toes and the water moving over her pale feet as thought trying to pull her out to sea. She breathed in the salty sea air and never wanted this day to end.<p>

She saw a strange cloud pass over the sun, it looked like a turtle but the head and feet were wrong. She squinted at it to get a better look, and the head seemed to take the shape of a lion's as did the feet. _A lion turtle,_ she thought with a smile. Suddenly the cloud took a more solid shape and began heading her way. She widened her eyes and stood. That was definitely not a cloud. She tried to run away but she became petrified by its gaze. As it came closer it showed its true size, it had to be the size of an island. Alexandria was lost in its jewel like gaze as her fear left her and she was filled with peace. She reached out and as she touched its snout she heard a voice in her mind.

"_You are needed_," it said in a voice that seemed to have seen the dawn of time itself. A white light suddenly encircled her. The ground seemed to fall out from under her, and she suddenly was falling. She screamed for what felt like forever before she saw a dot of blue beneath her. She looked down and saw the dot become bigger and then she saw the deck of a ship and several tiny people dressed in varying shades of red. And then the light engulfed her again, but this time an intense pain washed over her and the world went black.

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><p>As the light dimmed Zuko saw a girl laying on her side her golden hair spread about her head obscuring her face; he approached her slowly and took some of the strange colored hair and brushed it out of her face. She had a very round face indicating youth, and a rather small nose but large eyes with long dark lashes.<p>

"Who is she?" asked Zuko. She did not look as though she was from a nearby water tribe, as her clothes were far too thin for the arctic weather, nor did she seem to be from any nation he knew of.

"I don't know but we had better get her inside," his Uncle Iroh said the old man bending to touch her cheek. "She is as cold as ice, we must get her warm!" Zuko nodded and bent down. He placed his arms under her shoulders and her knees and picked her up, he was surprised at how little she seemed to weigh, as she was not very small but she was not very large either, the best way to describe her was healthy. The ends of her golden strands swayed a few inches from the rough boards of the deck as he carried her limp frame below.

"Take her to your room, we can get her warm there," Iroh said. Zuko nodded and walked to the door. She stirred in his arms and he looked down at her; her eyes fluttered open to reveal spring green eyes before they closed again and she went limp. He laid her down and covered her in his thickest blankets. Iroh bent a small flame into a pan lighting the coals before extinguishing it leaving the coals glowing red, before putting a lid on it and sliding it between two blankets near her feet. "Now we wait," He said sitting next to the bed.

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><p>She awoke to a pounding headache. She slowly opened her eyes, thanking god for the dim candle light. She saw a boy about her age sitting in front of small table and an older man who noticed she was awake and smiled at her.<p>

"It is good to see you awake," he said with a voice raspy with age. He had grey hair, eyes like two gold coins and a gentle smile, she felt like she could trust him instantly. Now the boy on the other hand; his dark hair was tied back in a ponytail with eyes like the old man. His left eye and most of that side of his face was scarred, from what she had no idea, but it made him seem fierce and angry.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"

"Zuko!" the old man said sternly. "She has just woken up, give her time to adjust." Alexandria slowly sat up the pounding in her head getting worse. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes to hopefully relive some of the pressure. "Headache?" the old man asked. She nodded. "Here have some tea." He handed her a cup and she drank it and some of the pain ebbed away instantly.

"Thank you," she said setting the cup down on the floor. "My name is Alexandria, but most people call me Alex."

"That is a very strange name," The old man said. "I am Iroh and this is my nephew Zuko."

"Well my name isn't very strange in America, that's where I'm from," she said smiling. "By the way where am I?" Iroh and Zuko looked at each other a strange expression crossing their faces.

"You are on a fire nation ship, circling the South Pole," Zuko said. Alexandria blinked not quite understanding what they were talking about.

"So we're circling Antarctica?" she asked feeling dread bloom in the bit of her stomach.

"What?" Zuko asked a confused expression on his face. "What's an Antarctica?"

"Miss Alexandria, did I say that right?" Iroh asked. Alex nodded. "I believe you are from a different world, one very different from ours." She felt shock seep into her bones cold as ice. She picked up her teacup and took a sip of the warm liquid. "I believe something brought you here for a reason."

"Lion turtle," She said dreamily. "He said I was needed."

"A lion turtle brought you here?" Iroh asked. She nodded slowly.

"How do I go back?" she asked panic engulfing her. "How do I go back home?"

"The Lion turtle brought you here for a reason," Iroh said setting a gentle hand on her shoulder, and easing some of the panic. "You will probably be able to go home once you accomplish what you came here for." She nodded her panic slowly fading. "By the way what was that?" With that question her panic returned.

"I don't know! He never told me!" she said her green eyes wide with panic and fear. "What am I supposed to do all he told me is that 'you are needed'" she said her voice rising in pitch.

"Miss, calm down," Iroh said taking her shoulders in his hands. She felt her breathing begin to calm as she looked into his golden eyes. "You will find your destiny." She nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to calm down. "We will leave you some clothes so you can change and we will meet you on deck." She nodded.

"Thank you, for the tea," she said as he stood up. He simply smiled at her and led Zuko out the door, which was shut after Zuko. Alex sighed and thought the best way to survive was to make the best out of this. She pushed back the blankets and found a neatly folded pile of clothes on the small table. She pulled the shirt over her head and she was swimming in it.

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><p>"Why does she have to wear my clothes?" Zuko asked slightly irked. The girl, Alex, had struck him as scared and he had no time to wonder about a scared, stupid girl.<p>

"Because you are the smallest person on this ship before her," Iroh said as they climbed the stairs. "And we must be gracious hosts, as you are a prince."

"Can't we just leave her at the next port?" Zuko asked. "She can find her destiny on her own!"

"Zuko," Iroh said turning and looking at his nephew his expression stern. "Does she look like she can survive on her own?"

"Well, no," he said feeling a little ashamed for just wanting to make her someone else's problem.

"So we must keep her safe," Iroh said. "She was brought to us for a reason, what that reason is, we will just have to find out." Zuko nodded. They made their way to the railing and watch as icebergs rolled lazily past.

"Hello," Said a very feminine voice from behind them. Zuko turned to look and had to hold back his laughter. She was drowning in his clothes, as she was quite a bit shorter she'd had to roll the cuffs of the pants several times, she'd tucked the shirt in and belted the pants at her waist with a simple knot and the shirts sleeves had been rolled several times as well. It looked like a little girl trying on her father's clothes. "Thank you for the clothes," she said smiling and running her hand through her golden hair.

"You look beautiful," Iroh said smiling back. She laughed a loud and contagious sound.

"Thanks for lying," She said leaning on the railing next to Zuko, who looked down at her.

"I was not lying, Miss," Iroh said. She blushed and looked at her feet.

"Well, then thank you," she said. Iroh nodded and turned away walking toward the watch tower. She looked up at Zuko and was struck by how angry he seemed. "So what's your deal?"

"I don't know what you mean?" he said staring straight ahead at the icebergs.

"Why are we out here?" she asked.

"I'm searching for the Avatar," he said. "If I capture him and take him to my father, I will regain my honor."

"Oh so honor is a thing here," she said nodding. "By the way, who is the 'Avatar'?" she asked.

"The avatar is a being who can control all four elements, he's had a century to hone his abilities so he will be a deadly enemy, but it is my destiny to capture him," he said his expression serious.

"Time out," she said making a 'T' shape with her hands. "What do you mean control the elements?" Zuko never answered her question as a flare went up in the sky and Zuko ran over toward it and yanked a telescope from a soldier and looked through it.

"There you are," he muttered. "Set a course for that village over there!" he shouted before running below deck.

"Thanks for answering my questions," Alex muttered rolling her eyes. The ship suddenly lurched to the side and she grabbed onto the railing for dear life. After the ship seemed to right itself Alex slowly let go of the railing but her stomach was pretty queasy.

"Miss Alex!" called Iroh. She looked up at the tower and saw him waving out a window. "Please, come and have some tea with me!" she smiled up at him and began to slowly make her way toward the ladder to the tower. She stumbled and a solider caught her and set her on her feet. She looked up at him and saw worried brown eyes.

"Thanks sir," She said smiling up at him. "Could you point me to Iroh?"

"Uh… up the ladder and the second door on the first platform," he said pointing up the ladder.

"Thanks," she said climbing up the ladder he'd pointed out. The solider watched her as she climbed and wondered where this strange girl had come from? Was she a spirit? Or was she just a girl with weird hair? All he really knew was that she reminded him of his daughter back in the fire nation.

Alex felt the wind more strongly here, and it was only a little cold. She went to the second door and knocked twice. Iroh opened the door and waved her in.

"Come in child," he said. She came in and sat at the little table with the steaming teapot and cups. "How are you doing?"

"So far so good," she said taking a sip. "Zuko was rather welcoming."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "So you mentioned an America, tell me about this place."

"Well, it's a country made up of fifty states," she began only to feel the boat begin to shift as thunderous cracks filled the air. Alex stood and tried to keep her balance as she went outside and saw a small village that the ship was headed straight for. The ship suddenly stopped and she felt her balance leave her as she fell toward the balcony.

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><p>I know a cliff in the first chapter, I couldn't resist it... anyway let me know what you think!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you all enjoy this one!

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><p>She caught the railing and held on for dear life as she felt her body being propelled forward. She was suddenly pulled backward and set on her feet. She looked back and saw Iroh with his hand gripping the back of her shirt.<p>

"Thanks," she said. As she came down from the adrenaline high, she saw Zuko in some kind of military uniform; the ship's front nose thingy opened up and turned into a ramp. She turned to Iroh and said, "If you'll excuse me." She slid down the ladder to the deck and ran to the railing. She saw a boy from the tribe run at Zuko as he descended the ramp that had been the front of the ship. Zuko easily knocked the club like weapon out of the boy's hands and knocked the boy over the side of the ramp and into a snow drift, headfirst. She cringed at the soft crunch the boy made as he hit the drift. She hoped he was alright.

Alex couldn't hear what Zuko was saying but she watched as Zuko grabbed an old lady and said something before he pushed her back into the crowd. He shot a burst of flame from his hand and the crowd reacted in fear. Alex thought it was a nice trick, and wondered how the flamethrower he was using worked. The boy came running at Zuko again and threw a boomerang, Zuko dodged it and Alex ducked as it whizzed over her head. _Well that idea failed_, she thought. A little boy tossed the older boy a spear and he ran at Zuko, only for Zuko to hand him his butt on a platter. She had to admire the boy's bravery though; Alex heard a high pitched whistle and turned around to see a silver flash and ducked as the boomerang whizzed over her head again. She watched as it whacked Zuko in the back of his head and spun his helmet around slightly. She giggled a little at that.

Suddenly a bald boy came sledding in on a… was that a four winged penguin? _Man, the animals are strange here_, she thought. The boy ran into Zuko causing him to fall backward into the snow. Zuko got up this, time sans helmet; Zuko shot another jet of flame and the boy waved his staff and it dissipated. They exchanged a brief conversation before the both took a stance. She watched as the two circled each other. As they assessed each other she got the feeling Zuko was underestimating the boy. Zuko shot a jet of flame at the boy, and he countered. The fight consisted of Zuko on the offensive, and the boy on the defensive. One of Zuko's flames got pretty close to the crowd, and the boy suddenly surrendered.

"Impressive isn't it," Iroh said coming up next to her as Zuko led the boy onto the ship.

"Yeah," she said marveling at how graceful the fight had been. "But why did Zuko use the flame thrower instead of actually attacking the kid?"

"My dear," Iroh said looking at her with curiosity. "He was fire bending, an ancient and sacred art."

"Fire bending?" she asked looking at Iroh with a confused expression. "What's that?" Iroh was about to answer when they felt the ship begin to back out of the ice. Zuko and a few soldiers led the boy onto the deck. Alex went to go see what was going on not waiting for her answer.

The boy couldn't be more than twelve, with a bald head and strange arrow tattoos on his forehead and on his hands. He wore clothes that were yellow and a burnt orange; they seemed really thin for being in the South Pole.

"This will be a perfect gift for my father," Zuko said holding the boy's staff. "Take this to my quarters," he said handing Iroh the staff. "Lock him up below deck." The soldiers began leading the boy away as Zuko went inside.

"Would you mind taking this to his room for me?" Iroh asked handing a soldier the staff and walking away. Alex wondered where they were taking the boy so she went below deck and ended up following the boy and his guards. They reached a hallway with a door at the end and she assumed that that was the boy's cell.

"So you guys have never fought an air bender huh?" she kid asked. "I bet I could beat both of you with my arms tied behind my back."

"Shut up," one guard said. She saw the kid breathe in deeply and then suddenly he and the guard behind him went shooting back and she had to flatten herself against the wall not to get blown backwards with the two of them. She had to know how he did that! She ran after him as he ditched the guard and ran up a bunch of stairs. He encountered a group of soldiers and ran up the walls and on the ceiling. How was he doing that? She just had to find out. She pushed past the soldiers shouting apologies the whole way. The kid had gotten rid of the ropes binding his wrists, and he started opening doors trying to find something. And soon he came to Zuko's room and he smiled before walking in. The door shut in her face and she tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. She heard some vague words and then a lot of destructive sounds. The door blew open and the kid knocked her out of the way as he ran past. She hit the wall with enough force to knock the breath out of her. She kept trying to breathe but every time she'd get a breath in, it just wouldn't go out. Zuko ran out not paying any attention to the gasping girl by his door.

_Thanks a lot jerk_, she thought. After a few seconds she could breathe properly again and she got up and started in the direction Zuko had gone. She got to the control room and saw the boy and Zuko falling toward the deck. She ran to the balcony and watched in horror as she saw the two of them collide with the deck and neither of them got up for a few seconds.

A strange sound made Alex look behind her and she saw something she didn't even think was real. It looked like a six legged huge buffalo with a furry beaver tail and it was flying! "What is that thing and why is it flying!?" she asked no one in particular.

Zuko kept shooting fire at the kid, who scrambled to deflect the fire and soon he fell into the sea. She found a ladder and she slid down it; when her feet touched the deck the kid came up riding what looked like a water spout. His eyes and tattoos were glowing and when he got back on the deck he made a circle of water around himself and he spread it outward pushing many men into the railing of the ship. She crossed her arms in front of her head to protect herself. She felt it hit her arms but it seemed to just part around her so she was left standing. She had to know how he did that. She looked behind her to see it push Zuko over the railing.

"ZUKO!" she yelled running to the place he'd fallen from. She saw him holding the anchor chain and beginning to climb up. She sighed in relief and held out a hand to help him climb when he got closer to her. He took it and Alex started pulling him up, but her foot slipped and she saw the blue of the waves her panic rising. When something grabbed her middle and pulled her back onto her feet, she looked back and saw Iroh his eyes worried. He got them up on deck and the kid was riding on the flying buffalo with two kids in blue.

"Shoot them down!" yelled Zuko. Iroh and Zuko did some kind of move and they both shot a fireball that combined into a large fireball. It flew toward the buffalo but suddenly changed course and hit an iceberg causing an avalanche. Alex gasped and grabbed onto Zuko in her panic and refused to watch as she felt the snow and ice cover the front of the ship. When the ship stopped she opened one eye and saw the nose of the ship buried in snow, there was no way they were going to be able catch the kids now.

"Good news for the Fire Lord," Iroh said. "The fire nation's biggest threat is just a child."

"That child," Zuko said seething. "Did all of this, I won't underestimate him again. You dig the ship out." The three looked at the frozen soldiers as some other soldiers tried to thaw them out. "After you're done doing that." Alex took this chance to grab Zuko's arm and look at his sleeve. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Looking for the flamethrower," she said pulling open his sleeve and seeing nothing but his wrist. That couldn't be right, she'd seen him shoot flame, it couldn't have come from nowhere.

"What's that?" he asked. She looked at Iroh when it clicked. _Fire bending…_

"You guys…" She said her heart pounding. "You guys can make fire with… with your MINDS!"

"Well actually it is more like manipulation of the chi within your body that gives us the ability to control the fire," Iroh said laying a hand on her shoulder. It took her a few seconds to take it in. She was quiet as she thought it through but then she burst with all her questions.

"THAT IS SO COOL! How are you able to do this? Is it a genetic thing? Or does everybody have this ability? Does this work with the other elements too? Could I learn to do it? What about-," she said not even pausing for breath.

"Miss Alex," Iroh chuckled. "I will answer all your questions over a pot of tea."

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><p>"So, let me see if I have this right," She said setting her teacup down. Zuko tuned her out as she repeated what Iroh had just told her. She spoke with her hands a lot, and she was very expressive. She seemed to have three different expressions for the same emotion. There was something about this girl that made Zuko feel as though he could let his guard down, of course that made him put his guard up even faster. He remembered how she'd appeared on the deck earlier today.<p>

_He'd been leaning on the railing and wondering if his search was futile; they'd searched the area where they'd seen the light and had found nothing. He wondered if it was another dead end, but he couldn't give up. He wondered if life would go back to the way it was if he actually found the Avatar. Suddenly a tremor shook the ship and lightning flashed. The clouds gathered above the ship and suddenly a beam of white light split the clouds and hit the deck with a thunderous crash. He remembered hearing a voice in his head saying, "_**Here is your answer**_," and then the white light got so bright it was blinding_. And then he was back to the beginning. Zuko looked at the girl again; she was sort of pretty, if he really looked at her. The way the candlelight glinted off her golden hair. He'd never seen hair that color, it was like she captured the sunshine in her hair.

"Zuko," she said snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" he asked turning away from her.

"You're spacing out, you ok?"

"I'm fine," he said answering the question but not really understanding to beginning of it. Spacing out? What did that even mean?

Iroh stood and said, "I'll leave you two alone, I'll see you two in the morning. Zuko if you'll be kind enough to show Miss Alex to her quarters." Zuko nodded. "Good night Miss Alex."

"Good night Iroh," she said smiling. He left and an awkward silence descended upon Zuko and Alex. She felt it was almost palpable, there were so many things she wanted to ask him, but he seemed almost unapproachable. For Pete's sake, being shy was not her thing so why was talking this guy proving to be so difficult? _Here goes nothing_, she thought.

"Why is it such a big deal that the kid got away?" she asked him after a sip of her tea. "You've been moping all day."

"Because he is the Avatar, and if I capture him and take him to my father he will restore my honor," he said glaring at her. "I already told you that! And I haven't been moping!"

"Yeah," she said rolling her eyes. "But it seems to me that you've got it pretty good. You get to travel the world, why not enjoy it?"

"Because my mission doesn't leave room for enjoyment, I have to find the Avatar! It's my destiny," he said.

"Destiny," she scoffed. "You can shape your own destiny. Every person has that ability."

"What do you know about destiny?" he asked

"I know enough," She said defensively. "I know that certain things happen for a reason, but I also know that the future isn't set in stone, we all have the ability to change our destiny."

"I know my destiny; when I capture my father will restore my honor and-" he began only to be interrupted.

"What is it with your father and your honor? What do you have to _prove_ to him?" she asked.

"I don't have to prove anything and don't talk to me like you know me!" he said glaring at her.

_Crap_, she thought_. I_ _just screwed that conversation up. Let's try this again_. "You're right, I don't know you, but I'd like to…" Zuko looked at her uncertainly. "Truce?"

He looked at the sincere expression on her face. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Truce," he said. She smiled at him and it seemed as if her whole face lit up. He suddenly felt pleasantly warm, as if he were standing in the morning sunshine. He didn't know if he liked this feeling. "Uh, let me show you to your room," he said standing up.

"Let me finish my tea," she said. He crossed his arms and sighed. She took a sip and then after a look at his expression she began to down her tea.

"Hurry up," he said getting impatient. She held up one finger as she drained the cup and set it down.

"Alright no need to get your britches in a twist," she said standing up. She followed him across the hall to a door very similar to his.

"This is it," he said opening the door and showing her in. It was extremely bare. There was a bed on a very low fame and several candles on a small table but no other decoration. She'd have to fix that when they got to the next port. "If you need anything let me or Iroh know," he said before turning away.

"Zuko wait," she said. He turned back his expression impatient. "Thanks… for everything."

"Uh… sure," he said a feeling of awkwardness descending upon the two of them. "Good night."

"Night," she said before turning away to light a few candles. When she turned back to shut the door Zuko was back in his room the door closed. She felt sadness close its cold fingers around her heart as she closed the door and crawled into the bed. Would she ever make it back home? What if she was stuck here forever? Alex shook the thoughts from her head and rolled over, she tried to focus on the sound of the waves to help her sleep, and after what felt like forever she finally slipped into oblivion.

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><p>yeah... anyway I'd love to hear your thoughts, I know I'm not the best but I'm working on it!<p> 


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